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Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will start in the team's Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday (October 1), head coach Steve Steichen announced on Friday (September 29) via NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano.
"Shane Steichen says Anthony Richardson will start Week 4 vs Rams," Siciliano wrote on his X account.
Richardson, 21, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was ruled out of last week's overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion he suffered in Week 2. Veteran backup Gardner Minshew, who took over for the rookie in the second quarter of the Colts' Week 2 matchup and threw for 227 yards and one touchdown on 27 of 44 passing in the Week 3 overtime win.
Richardson threw for 56 yards on 6 of 10 passing, while also recording 35 yards and two touchdowns on three rushing attempts prior to his injury. The rookie also threw for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 24 of 37 passing, while also recording 40 yards and one touchdown on 10 rushing attempts in his regular season debut, a 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Week 1.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen officially named Richardson as the team's starting quarterback for the regular season just days after his first preseason game in August.
"Per Shane Steichen - Anthony Richardson has been named the starter for the regular season," the Colts wrote on social media.
Richardson had the fastest rising stock of any quarterback prospect this offseason with many experts projecting him to have the best raw skills of any draft eligible player. The former four-star high school prospect threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 215 of 393 passing, as well as 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on 161 rushing attempts in 2022, having previously appeared in just 10 games during his first two collegiate seasons.
Minshew, 27, enters Sunday's game with an 8-16 overall record as a starting quarterback, having made 20 starts in his first two NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as four games for the Philadelphia Eagles in the absence of Jalen Hurts during the past two seasons. The former Washington State standout has thrown for 6,803 yards and 15 interceptions on 605 of 958 passing, while also recording 524 yards and two touchdowns on 114 rushing attempts.